Power-driven conveyer



Jan. 3, 1950 R. B. PERSSN POWER-DRIVEN CONVEXER www Patented Jan. 3, 1950 PDW'ER-DRIVEN CONVEYER Richard-B. .Persson Chicago, Ill., assigner of one-half Eto Per Persson, Chicago, lll.

Application August '20, 1947, SferialV No. 769,569

ii Claims. l

This invention relates =to a conveyor, .and more particularly to a conveyor 'utilizing the inertia of the conveyed article to move tire :article along the conveyor.

In accordance with the principles of my present invention', .provide a reciprocating `platform for conveying articles and individual rollers mounted on said uplatlorm 4which are capable of rotative movement yabout their-.own axes in one direction only. As the yplatic'nin iis moved in one direction, the individualfroliers having `articles resting thereon have sa tendency to `remain at rest Yor to rotate iin Aopposite direction relative to the platform; butsince suchfrelative movement is prevented, the articles will move With-the platform. When the 'platform reverses direction, since the rollers are not prevented from rotation in the opposite direction, the articles, due to inertia, continue l:inovementlin the original Adirection of movement of the platform. The characteristics generic to .my invention Kare a reciprocating V platform having a 'pluralityof 'individual units `in'ounted thereon tor unidirectional individual rotation about theirewn axes, it-conveyor is thus .providedthat is so constructed asto move articles being conveyed'orwardly continuously-on both -the 'liorward and rein-m1 strokes of the platform.

According to I'one embodiment A'ofen-ly invention, there is provided a multi#section lroller conveyor, adjacent lsections being loosely lconnected land curved .sections :being .employed if desired. The rollers are mountedon moving platforms and are themselves rotatable about 'their own axes .Tin one direction only. Asimple crank arm linkage connected to .one yof the .sections @may lsupply all the necessary .power lfor-.the entire system'. No power is .supplied fto the .rollers since rotation fto move articles to lbe conveyed yalong the `conveyor 'is produced by the `inertia of the articles.

It is 4therefore aan obyect vof this invention lto provide a conveyor depending on inertia -oi'articles to `be conveyed for mov-ing the articles along the vconveyor and which #conveyor may cause articles lto move forward-continuously.

1t :is fa further more speeiiicobect'oi the invention to 1.provide .a roller conveyor lin which `no power 'is supplied directly "toi-the rollersbut -power may :be .supplied 'through y-a simple inkage to `a single point of the conveyor section.

It is a vfurtlfler specific .obiec't .of the invention to provide .a conveyor :formed from a number .of sections including arcuate sections which may be driven at a single point on .one of fthe sections.

it is y'a .still further object of the invention to provide .a novel means of iinking .curved l.and straight sections so that each :section .may have a `longitudinal reciprocatingeomponent of .movement produced by power `applied directly to only one section.

"Other :and further important objects of this invention will be apparent .from the :disclosure in the specification of vthe accompanying :drawmgs.

On ythe drawings:

Figure 1 is a 4fragmentary plan yview of :a 4conveyor .embodying the principles of my invention;

4Figure 2 Ais a side elevational view of -a straight section of the conveyor of Figure :1;

Figure 3 is Ia sectional vview taken Isubstantially along the line III- III of Figure 2;

Figure .4 is a 'fragmentary plan vie-w `on a reduced scale `show-ing the .conveyor of 'Figure 1 at the forward end vof its strokes;

Figure 5 vis -a fragmentary plan view on a reduced scale of the conveyor of Figure 1 at the end of its backward stroke; and

Figure y6 yis a `cross sectional view `taken substantial-ly along the line VI-VI lof Figure 3.

AThe reference numeral l0 designates generally a U-shaped conveyor embodying the principles of any invention. VSaid conveyor is illustrated as made @up -of 'three sections, straight sections 1H and ll2 and a -curved section 13.

Each section comprises a stationary l'table I4 having a number :ofi legs iI-i' resting -on iioor a movable platform Hiand -a jpluraflity of 'rollers 11 lcarried by each platform. The ends of adjacenit straight and vcurved sections lare loosely connected by links 118 pivotally secured to the inner edges -o'f the connected ends. A pivot bar lI9 is fixedlysecured'to the curved section f3 for guiding the curved section vin curved movement about a Ipivot axis 20 as `the Istraight section 1'2 'is 'reciprocated.

rIhe reciprocation of vsection ft2 Iis accomplished by means of -a motor '21 mounted on a support 22 which in turn may be connected to a pair of legs I5. The driving iinkage comprises -a crank 23 rotatable with the motor shaft, a rod '24 exfv tending to one end of a rocker arm 25 pivotally carried by a bracket 26 mounted on a leg I5. To the other end ofthe rocker arm 25 is pivotally connected a second rod 24 extending toy an ear 21 carried by movable platform I6 and pivotally connected thereto. Thus as crank 23 is rotated, the linkage converts the rotation into reciprocating movement of the platform I6.

The platform I6 is movable by virtue of the arrangement of balls 28 riding in upper and lower channels 29 and 30 of the platform and table, respectively, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3. The channels are of V-cross section (Figure 3) and have inturned ends 3I (Figure 2) to confine the balls '28 therein. Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6, it will be seen that the rollers I1 are rotatably mounted( face, each of said rollers being flxedly positioned upon cores 32 having end stub shafts v33'fixedly secured in the side walls 34 of the platform IB.- V

7;0 rotation about its own axis, means for insuring Referring to Figure 6, it will be seen that each core 32 has a wedge shaped recess l35 therein si receiving a ball 33. It will be apparent that the ball will prevent rotation of the roller in a'clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 6, but will permit free rotation counterclockwise as seenin Figure 6p YThus if the crank 23 rotates clockwise (Figure 2), the platform will first move to the left. An. article 40 to be conveyed would thus tend to move to the right relative to the rollers or due to inertia to rotate the rollers clockwise as seen in Figures V2 Yand 6. Since the rollers are locked against rotation in this direction, the article will-move forward to the left (Figure 2). However, when the platform reverses direction and starts moving to the right (Figure V2),V the articles tend to continue movement to the left The rollers are free to rotate in this direction and the article continues forwardly relative `to r" the rollers and with respect to the table for at least part of the returnstroke, the amount depending on the acceleration and rotational inertiaof the rollers.V

.The'curved section I3 is illustrated as being semi-circular, but this is merely 'by way of eX- ample. Figures 4 and 5 depict the terminal positions of the curved section I3 as the platform of section I2 is reciprocated. Figure l indicates the intermediate or mid position of the curved section.

In the present embodiment the pivot bar I9 is pivoted at the origin of the radii of curvature of the edges of the platform, so that the channels are the same as those s-hown for the straight section, except they are curved concentrically about the pivot bar axis 20. Inasmuch as whenY the articles are subjected to circular movement, they will tend to continue on a tangent when `the direction of movement is reversed, it isdesirable to provide a shield such as 31 to constrain the conveyed articles within the limits of the rollers. The gaps between the end rollers of the Y sections and between adjacent rollers of the sections must, of course, be suiciently small so that the articles will not fall therebetween. The tendency of the articles to continue on a tangent in circular motion resolves into an arcuate component forwardly about the Vcurved section and one normal thereto which is resisted'by shield 31. Thus the resultant motion 'of the article will be forwardly along the rollers of the curved sec-A tion.

The specific means for .preventing rotation of the rollers in' onel direction is,- of course, not

limitedto the wedge recess and ball described above, since such means may also comprise a.

ratchet, roller or any other type locking device.

Also the mounting of the platform on the table may be modified by'employing flexible stilts or '5 rollers, for example.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the 10 purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims. Y a I claimas my. invention:A I

1.*A conveyorcomprising a, stationary table,

a platform mounted for reciprocating movement v'on said table, a plurality of rollers mounted on --said platform to form an article conveying surlrela'tively tothe others and being mounted for free rotation of said rollers in one direction only y and means for reciprocating said platform on said l' table, whereby on the forward stroke of said platform articles thereon are moved forwardly with the rollers by virtue of the friction between said articles and the non-rotating rollers, and when the platform moves rearwardly the articles continue to move forwardly over the freely rotating e rollers. 2.A conveyor' comprising a platform, means for'driving said platformin afgenerally reciprocating motion, aplurality .of rollers mounted onY said platform Yfor rotation about their own axes, each of said rollers being fxedly positioned relatively to the others,V and means forY substantiallyinsuring rotation of said rollers in one direction only, whereby when said platform is reciprocated on the forward stroke articles there- -V on aremoved forwardly with the rollers by virtue 4u of the friction betweensaid articles and the nonrotating rollers, and,when the platform moves rearwardly the articles continue to move for-A wardly over the freely rotating rollers.Y 3. A conveyorcomprising a stationary table, a platform mountedfor reciprocating movement on said table, a plurality ofrollers mounted on saidplatform for rotation about their own axes, means including a wedge-shaped recess and ball suring rotation of said rollers in one direction only, whereby when said platform is reciprocated on the forward stroke articles thereon are moved forwardly with the rollers and when the platform moves rearwardly the articles continue to movev forwardly over the freelyrotating rollers;

4. A conveyor comprising straight sections and curved sections, each section Icomprising astationary table and areeiprocating platform, said platforms having 4a'plurality of rollers mounted 6U thereon for rotation about Ytheir own axes in one directiony only, a looseconnecting link between adjacent ends of rsectionsV and a pivot bar attached to the curved section so that only one driving means need bei applied to only one section of the; conveyor for operatingv the entire conveyor.' Y y a Y --5.V A conveyor comprisingV a stationary table,

a platform mounted for-reciprocating movement on said table, apair of opposed V-shaped channelsl rmounted'respectively onsaid table and on said platform Y andl a. ball'l riding vtherebetween Ifor guidingsaid platform .in its reciprocating movements relative to said table, a pluralityfof rollers mountedgon said-platform to .formi an article conveying surface, each of said rollers be associated with said rollers for substantially ining force only to one section to reciprocate the entire platform.

RICHARD B. PERSSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 379,704 Krause et al. Mar. 20, 1888 1,462,511 Lister July 24, 1923 1,801,110 Walter May 26, 1931 

